I can fly into Osaka or Tokyo- should I stay in either of these two cities for the length of time, or go somewhere else, like Kyoto? Is one area more expensive than the other? This is my first time in Japan.

[This message has been edited by dominick (edited 02-15-2003).]

ANy city would be interesting, but Kyoto is the historical preserved city with most to see, that is not like every other modern big city.

You can fly into Osaka and see Kyoto, which is nearby. In fact, there are express trains from KIX that will take you directly to Kyoto in about 90 minutes. From Kyoto to Osaka, trains should take less than 45 minutes. Another nearby city, which was Japan's capital even before Kyoto, is Nara.

Tokyo, of course, is also a must see but for purposes of immersing oneself into Japanese history and culture in such a limited time, I would go with the Kansai area.

Hi, dominick.
Greetings from Japan!

I would recommend Osaka, Kyoto and Nara too.
Tokyo is nice and interesting, but in other words : just a big city.
(But if you are not interested in historical cities, I would recommend
Tokyo and Yokohama.)

From KIX, there is a direct JR (Japan Railway) Express train "Haruka" for
Kyoto. The fare for an adult is JPY2,980, however there is also a direct
bus and the fare is JPY2,300.

Kyoto is a very historical city with many famous temples and shrines where
English description is also available.

The absolutely must-see place is the "Kiyomizudera" (Kiyomizu Temple).
Here you can also buy nice souvenirs and local delicacies.

I would recommend to stay in Osaka, it is the biggest city in west Japan
and very convenient to access Kyoto, Nara, or elsewhere.
Also, Osaka features a wide selection of hotels like Hilton, Hyatt,
Ritz-Carlton or Westin.


Here are some helpful links :

KIX (Kansai International Airport) Guide:
http://www.kansai-airport.or.jp/english/index.htm

Kyoto:
http://www.pref.kyoto.jp/index_e.html

Nara:
http://www.pref.nara.jp/nara_e/index.html

Osaka:
http://www.kanko-osaka.or.jp/eng/diary/365.cgi